The present invention relates to an adapter for mounting a camera or the like on a telescope for afocal photography; more specifically, to a universal camera mounting apparatus that provides for flexible adjustment of the camera on a pivoting and sliding mounting mechanism, which may be fixed in a given position for long exposures required from telescopic photography.
A number of mounting devices for photographic equipment can be found in the prior art. Many of these prior art devices involved attaching fixed tubes screwably attached to the lens system or eyepiece of the telescope and providing a camera mount on the distal end of the tube for attachment of the camera. Other devices provided brackets which were mounted on the telescope which provided extensible arms for mounting a camera or videocamera to the bracket. These bracket were not readily aligned along the optical axis of the telescope and did not permit easy adjustment of the camera once attached to the bracket. None of the prior art devices offer the degrees of freedom to the mounting and adjustment offered by the universal camera mounting adapter of the present invention.
A camera, which may be either single lens reflex or video camera, or charge coupled device (CCD) camera, may be affixed in front of the eyepiece of a telescope such as a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT) using the apparatus herein described. A rear cell adapter is threaded onto the telescope. Into this rear cell adapter, the regular viewing lens for the telescope is removably attached. Affixed to the rear cell adapter is yoke assembly that provides means for securing the yoke against the rear cell adapter. The yoke also provides a profile parallel to the axis of the the telescope. Into this profile a generally square rail formed from aluminum is attached and held in the profile with set screws. Attached to this rail is the camera base platform assembly that provides a similar profile to fit the generally square rail on the distal end of the rail. The camera base assembly is likewise provided with set screws which permit it to be moved from the distal end of the rail to any point along the square rail.
An attaching plate is affixed to the base of the camera and mates with the top of the camera base platform assembly. The attaching plate is grooved along one side to allow the camera to be moved laterally once attached to the platform. When the lens of the camera is aligned with the eyepiece on the telescope, another set screw may be engaged to hold the camera in a fixed position for the commencement of the photographic session.
Once the camera is attached and aligned with the eyepiece on the telescope, the lens of the camera and the lens on the telescope are covered with a plasticized hood with provides resilient members along its edge to fit snuggly over the two lens to prevent ambient light from reaching the camera lens other than light which comes through the telescope lens.